LUCKNOW: As allegations of irregularities in Ram Temple endowment funds intensified, Ayodhya BJP leader Dr Rajnish Singh wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding an impartial probe into the alleged misuse of funds.
Amid the growing controversy, Temple Construction Committee Chairman Ram Nripendra Mishra arrived in Ayodhya on Tuesday and held discussions with members of the temple trust.
It may be recalled that former Samajwadi Party MLA from Ayodhya, Pawan Pandey, had alleged that the donation money amounting to Rs 7–7.5 crore was defrauded. However, General Secretary of Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, Champat Rai refuted the allegations.
While the Prime Minister’s Office has sought a comprehensive report from the Temple Trust on the controversy, Nripendra Mishra, chairman of the temple’s construction committee and considered a close confidante of Prime Minister Modi, held a four-hour closed-door meeting with members of the temple trust at the Ram Temple complex in Ayodhya on Tuesday.
According to sources, the discussions centered on the controversy surrounding the endowment fund as well as the ongoing construction work of the temple.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that huge sums of donated funds had gone missing and demanded a judicial probe. In response, Mishra, who was originally scheduled to arrive in Ayodhya on June 13, brought forward his visit to directly address the allegations along with Trust General Secretary Champat Rai.
Akhilesh Yadav also raised the issue back at X, calling it “Chadhava Chori Kand” (Stealing Offer Scandal) and demanded an impartial probe to find out the truth.
He alleged that the Uttar Pradesh government’s silence on the issue was suspicious and said the court should take cognizance of the matter.
Akhilesh further asked the temple administration to make the CCTV footage public. He also questioned the role of private companies, asking who had decided to involve them between the trust and government banks in the sensitive task of counting the bids.
